Nurse practitioners to open clinics as part of Alberta plan to address doctor shortage
New publicly-funded health clinics run by nurse practitioners will start popping up across Alberta early next year.
To help with the province's doctor shortage, the UCP government will spend $2 million over three years to recruit, prepare and support nurse practitioners to set up their own clinics, it announced on Wednesday.
"Nurse practitioners are highly trained and valued medical professionals. By enabling them to open their own clinics, we are ensuring Albertans can more easily access the care they need," Premier Danielle Smith said.
"Through the new model, Alberta Health will compensate nurse practitioners who want to practice independently, take on patients and also offer services that reflect the full extent of their training, skills and experience."
The compensation model is still being finalized, but it will apply to nurse practitioners who are willing to take on a certain number of patients.
There are currently 853 nurse practitioners registered in Alberta.
"We can assess, diagnose, order and interpret tests, prescribe any medication and manage both wellness and disease," said Susan Prendergast, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta.
The president of the Alberta Medical Association says he can't criticize adding more resources, but that this move missed the mark.
"I think the most critical piece of this is what we need is more integration, bigger teams that work together better," Dr. Paul Parks said.
Critics say there are more than 700,000 Albertans without a family doctor.
"People are waiting in emergency rooms, urgent care centres, they're waiting for referrals," Friends of Medicare Executive Director Chris Gallaway said. "There's all these pieces that are backlogged through the system and a small tweak to nurse practitioners isn't going to address the bigger staffing that we're in."
NDP Health Critic David Shepherd said health practitioners will help but questioned the overall health strategy.
Clinics could be up and running as soon as January.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.